New gene discovery for babies born with hole in the heart A new gene associated with a form of congenital heart disease in newborn babies -- known as "a hole in the heart" has been discovered by researchers. British Heart Foundation (BHF) Professor Bernard Keavney, from The University of Manchester and Newcastle University, led the research which saw investigators from Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford and Leicester universities in the UK, together with colleagues in Europe, Australia and Canada pool resources.